JP2016152774A - Tea leaf hot-air treatment apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently dry tea leaves, and to provide an apparatus that can well treat even the tea leaves having a lot of surface water.SOLUTION: Provided is a tea leaf hot-air treatment apparatus characterized to be composed of a cylindrical treatment shell having one end as a tea leaf inputting port and the other end as a tea leaf outputting port, driving means for rotating the treatment shell, crosspieces arranged in the interior of the treatment shell, and hot-air supply means for blowing hot-air from one end of the treatment shell, as well as characterized in inputting tea leaves after roasting.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus for efficiently removing moisture from tea leaves.

  In conventional tea making lines, tea leaves after killing are dried at a constant rate in order to pursue the taste, color and shape of tea products. Therefore, in order not to dry up, the tea leaves are rubbed in, the internal moisture of the tea leaves is pushed to the surface, and the tea leaves are dried while keeping the temperature at about 35 to 40 degrees.

  In recent years, the production of low-cost tea products has been considered, and there is a demand for drying tea leaves in a short time.

  A device such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1 has been developed by the present applicant. The apparatus of patent document 1 is an apparatus for killing fresh tea leaves, and is an apparatus intended to deactivate oxidase of fresh tea leaves. For this reason, it is fresh tea leaves that are put into Patent Document 1, and when fresh tea leaves are put, since there is not much moisture on the surface of fresh tea leaves, the fresh tea leaves never stick to the apparatus.

JP 2013-34405 A

  In Patent Document 1, there is a hot air supply means at the center of the processing cylinder, and a screw conveyor or a trough conveyor is installed at the input port above it, and the tea leaves are input into the processing cylinder. Patent Literature 1 is a device that throws green tea leaves and kills them. However, when tea leaves that have been killed are thrown into a device like Patent Literature 1, tea leaves are hardened and easily stick to the inside of the device. Adhering the tea leaves inside the apparatus itself is a problem, but moreover, there is a problem that when the adhering tea leaves are overdried, they become burnt leaves and are mixed into the tea leaves. It was very difficult to separate the burnt leaves after mixing them with the tea leaves, and it was important not to mix the burnt leaves.

  An object of the present invention is to efficiently dry tea leaves, and an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus that can satisfactorily treat tea leaves with high surface moisture.

The first means of the present invention comprises a cylindrical processing cylinder having one end for tea leaves and the other end for tea leaves, driving means for rotating the processing cylinder, and a rail provided inside the processing cylinder. And a hot air supply means for blowing hot air from one end of the processing cylinder, and a tea leaf hot-air treatment apparatus that throws in tea leaves after killing.
The second means of the present invention is the tea leaf hot-air treatment apparatus according to the first means, wherein the tea leaves after killing are introduced.

According to a third means of the present invention, in the second means, the hot air blowing pipe is inserted from the inlet of the processing cylinder, and a screw blade is provided on a part of the hot air supply pipe outside the inlet. A dosing device that is rotated integrally with the hot air blowing pipe and covered with a box is provided.
According to a fourth means of the present invention, in the first, second or third means, the hot air is 250 to 400 degrees.

  The apparatus of the present invention prevents the tea leaves from adhering to the processing cylinder and prevents the burnt leaves from being mixed into the tea leaves. Therefore, a good tea product can be manufactured.

FIG. 1 is an external view of the front of the tea leaf hot air processing apparatus. FIG. 2 is an external view of a processing cylinder of the tea leaf hot air processing apparatus. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the processing cylinder of the tea leaf hot air processing apparatus. FIG. 4 is an external view of the input side of the tea leaf hot air processing apparatus. FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of a charging device of the tea leaf hot air processing apparatus. FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of a charging device of a conventional tea leaf hot air killing apparatus. FIG. 7 is an explanatory view of a charging device of a conventional tea leaf hot air killing apparatus.

  The processing cylinder 1 includes an insertion port 2 through which tea leaves 20 are introduced from one end, and the tea leaves 20 are continuously and quantitatively introduced into the insertion port 2 by an introduction device 3. The processing cylinder 1 is rotated by driving means 5. A hot air blowing pipe 22 is inserted as one of hot air supply means 7 at one end of the processing cylinder 1, and the hot air blowing pipe 22 is a tube having an arbitrary length, is made of a breathable member, and blows hot air. The shape of the hot air blowing tube 22 is not limited to this, and may be other shapes such as a device in which hot air is blown from the tip of the tube or a portion of the tube made of a breathable member. The hot air supplied to the hot air blowing pipe 22 is generated by a hot air generator 21, and the outside of the processing cylinder 1 is constituted by a hot air supply pipe 23. The hot air supply pipe 23 does not blow hot air, and the hot air generator 21. And the hot air blowing pipe 22 are connected. The hot air blowing pipe 22 inside the processing cylinder 1 is fixed to the processing cylinder 1 by a fastener 26 and rotates together with the processing cylinder 1. A thermometer (not shown) is provided in the hot air supply pipe 23 to monitor and adjust the temperature of the hot air. The hot air generator 21 can supply hot air of about 250 to 400 degrees, preferably about 350 degrees with an air volume of about 15 to 40 cubic meters / minute, and both the temperature and the air volume can be adjusted. It is changed according to the nature of tea leaves and the degree of blue killing.

  A plurality of substantially straight bars 6 are attached to the inner surface of the processing cylinder 1 in the longitudinal direction so that the tea leaves 20 diffuse and move in the processing cylinder 1. In the case of this embodiment, the processing cylinder 1 is relatively large with a diameter of about 1000 mm and an overall length of about 5000 mm. The material is made of SUS of about 1.5 mm, and the processing cylinder 1 is not directly heated, so that a thin plate having a small heat capacity can be used. The rotation speed of the processing cylinder 1 is about 30 rpm at the maximum, and can be adjusted steplessly, and the degree of drying of the tea leaves (dwelling time) can be controlled. The staying time can be adjusted also by the inclination of the processing cylinder 1.

  A chute 15 serving both for taking out and exhausting the tea leaves 20 is provided outside the take-out port 4 at the other end of the processing cylinder 1, and the tea leaves 20 fall downward and the exhaust flows out to the top. Exhaust can be sufficiently achieved by setting up the exhaust pipe 16 above the chute 15, but a forced exhaust device may be installed.

  A screw blade 32 is provided around the hot air supply pipe 24 outside the inlet 2, and this portion of the hot air supply pipe 24 is separated from the hot air supply pipe 23, and is integrated with the hot air blowing pipe 22 and rotated integrally with the processing cylinder 1. The portion where the portion is covered with the box 31 is referred to as the charging device 3. This box 31 does not rotate. The joint between the hot air supply pipe 23 and the hot air supply pipe 24 slides because the hot air supply pipe 23 is fixed and the hot air supply pipe 24 rotates.

  In order to load the tea leaves 20 into the apparatus as described above, first, the tea leaves 20 are supplied to the charging apparatus 3 by the conveyor 8. Since the screw blade 32 rotates in the charging device 3, the screw blade 32 is transferred to the charging port 2 of the processing cylinder 1 by the screw blade 32. At this time, the hot air supply pipe 24 is heated by the hot air flowing inside, and the screw blades 32 are also heated at the same time. Therefore, even if the tea leaves that are sticky like steamed leaves come into contact with each other, they do not stick. Further, since hot air does not blow out above the charging device 3, there is no influence on the charging of tea leaves or the conveyor 8.

  The tea leaves are quantified by the screw blades 32 and transferred. The tea leaves 20 that have entered the processing cylinder 1 from the inlet 2 are dried by hitting hot air of about 250 to 400 degrees, preferably around 350 degrees, blown out from the hot air blowing pipe 22. At this time, the tea leaves 20 are evenly diffused by the straight rails 6 and can be uniformly applied to the hot air, and can be moved in the other end direction. The degree of drying of the tea leaves is adjusted by the number of rotations of the processing cylinder 1, the inclination angle, the hot air temperature, the hot air amount, and the like. The tea leaves dried in the processing drum 1 fall from the take-out port 4 of the processing drum 1, travel from the lower part of the chute 15 onto the conveyor 9, and are conveyed to the next tea making machine (not shown). Exhaust gas is exhausted well from the exhaust pipe 16.

  In the charging apparatus 3 as in the prior art, the driving means 5 of the processing cylinder 1 and the driving means (not shown) of the charging apparatus 3 are separate, but in the present invention, the hot air blowing pipe 22 is fixed to the processing cylinder 1. In addition, since it rotates integrally, only one drive means 5 is required to drive the processing cylinder 1. Energy saving and cost reduction can be expected.

  By eliminating sticking of tea leaves to the apparatus, it is possible to prevent the tea leaves 20 that have been stuck for a while from being peeled off and mixed into the tea leaves 20.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Processing cylinder 2 Input port 3 Input device 4 Outlet 5 Drive means 6 Crossing 7 Hot air supply means 8 Conveyor 9 Conveyor 10 Worker 11 Catch plate 13 Cover 15 Chute 16 Exhaust pipe 18 Machine frame 19 Inspection port 20 Tea leaf 21 Hot air generator DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 22 Hot-air blowing pipe 23 Hot-air supply pipe 24 Hot-air supply pipe 26 Fastening tool 31 Box 32 Screw blade 41 Processing drum 42 Input apparatus 43 Input apparatus 44 Hot-air supply means

Claims (4)

  From a cylindrical processing cylinder having one end serving as a tea leaf inlet and the other end serving as a tea leaf outlet, a driving means for rotating the processing cylinder, a rail provided inside the processing cylinder, and one end of the processing cylinder A tea leaf hot air processing apparatus comprising a hot air supply means for blowing hot air, and throwing in tea leaves after killing.   The hot air supply means is provided in the processing cylinder, and rotates hot with the processing cylinder while supplying hot air to the processing cylinder, a hot air generator for generating the hot air, and the hot air The tea leaf hot air processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a hot air supply pipe for supplying hot air from a generator to the hot air blowing pipe.   The hot air blowing pipe is inserted from the inlet of the processing cylinder, a screw blade is provided on a part of the hot air supply pipe outside the inlet and rotated integrally with the hot air blowing pipe and covered with a box. A tea leaf hot air treatment device according to claim 2, further comprising a charging device.   4. The tea leaf hot air treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hot air is 250 to 400 degrees.

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